This is a novel that truly impressed me with its polished and exciting style. My sister read it and said that it was better than Tom Clancy. I can't speak to that, never having read the gentleman, but I know an excellent book when I see one. I'm so glad that there's more to come! Batchelder, for giving us Soul Identity! Jul 28, Sandie rated it really liked it Shelves: This will not be one of those "why buy the book reviews", which I deplore.
I am always turned off by reviews that divulge the entire plot line and outcome of a book in the review. Hopefully, I will give you just enough to whet your reading appetite. The author of Soul Identity presents a fascinating fantasy for his readers to contemplate and savour. He immerses us in the adventures of a computer security geek and his "hot" Russian female counterpart and allows us to theorize as to our own feelin This will not be one of those "why buy the book reviews", which I deplore.
He immerses us in the adventures of a computer security geek and his "hot" Russian female counterpart and allows us to theorize as to our own feelings concerning the possibility of reincarnation. Would any of us be interested in engaging the services of a company that would act as a depository for our money, life experiences, and other valuables, and return them to us in our next life because, through the use of modern technology, they have developed a system of tracking and identifying souls through time? If there were such an organization, how long would it be before someone would hatch a scheme to infiltrate and usurp control??
Want the answers to these and a myriad of other questions, then buy a copy of Soul Identity and get ready for an entertaining, thought provoking and engaging read with plenty of action for the thrill seekers among you. I guarantee that even the most jaded reader will be hooked by page twenty. Oct 21, Jennifer rated it liked it. I downloaded this book onto my Kindle from the free listings. Sometimes I'm wary of the books on that list, but I really, really liked the concept of this one. I felt like there was way too much detail about some things, pointless detail on other things, the romance between Val and Scott seemed like it was contrived at first and just tossed in as a gimme to reach the female readership.
On other things that should have had more detail, there was none. There were gaps in I downloaded this book onto my Kindle from the free listings. There were gaps in the story in some places, where we got every minute happening relevant or not in others. Overall, I'd call it "jumpy.
Aug 02, Ronald rated it did not like it. A lame book that only manages to limp along on the crutches of one interesting concept. There is some potential here, and it would have been interesting to see it explored in the hands of a better writer. Though as it is, I just can't recommend this one at all. The writing is poor and the characters and plot are groan-inducing. The only saving grace is the soul identity idea itself, which was wasted here. I forced myself to finish the book hoping it would improve but it only gets more ridiculous A lame book that only manages to limp along on the crutches of one interesting concept.
I forced myself to finish the book hoping it would improve but it only gets more ridiculous as it goes, and the climax is just pathetic. Do yourself a favor and leave this one alone. May 29, Wendy rated it really liked it Shelves: Scott Waverly, a cynic must help the secret society of Soul Identity from being destroyed by a clever thief.
The owners are too naive and were almost conned out of their business and its impressive assets. The internal love interest was fun. Best of all it cost one penny on kindle. This story made me wonder what goes on in the mind of a writer. A society, formed ages ago, is based on your soul imprint -- that of your eyes. They believe that if you want to "take it with you" when you die, you can leave your worldly goods and words to your future "self' in a depository so that Soul Identify workers can find your soul sometime in the future.
I loved the beginning of the book and can only imagine how much fun the author had with that scenerio. Jun 10, Cristelle Snyman rated it it was ok. Interesting idea but badly executed. Came very close to abandoning it a few times. This is a long review because I had a lot to say about this book. I also am reviewing this before I finish. I've read over half of the novel and I feel that's enough for a solid review.
I started out in love with this book. I loved the author's style and the voice. I loved the humor and I loved the character's quirkiness. But that wasn't enough to keep my attention as the book moves on. I flew through the first 50 pages and was really excited reading it then my excitement fizzled little by littl This is a long review because I had a lot to say about this book. I flew through the first 50 pages and was really excited reading it then my excitement fizzled little by little.
I'm going to try. Scott's personality is what kept me reading this far. But there are major flaws. The book is in need of character development and content editing throughout. I am not one who likes a lot of description, but the author doesn't describe anything at all which in some scenes, leaves you clueless. The scene switches are also confusing and the author does not clarify on certain things that need to be dealt with.
Such as when people are riding in a car one minute, but then they are "climbing out" the next. Yet the author hasn't mentioned the car's even been stopped or where they are. I think his writing was way too fast and he skipped over much needed details. I find the characters very unbelievable but entertaining. Scott has the common sense of a child or teenager, not a grown man. I think this character would fit a YA thriller but not this book.
He is also too trusting to be a security expert. This man's work relies on him to be suspicious by nature yet he meets folks and takes what they say at face value. He does this with everyone including Val who he falls in love with in five minutes. The development was skipped over at the most crucial of times.
I also couldn't believe a lot of the things that happend. The biggest thing was how calm these people seemed only seconds after an explosion. Once again, the author failed to describe anything or "show" anything. He told what happened. That is the weakest point of the book. The author tells everything and never shows a thing. The book is interesting, but after reading for a while you forget it's a novel and think it's a computer program advertisement. The characters don't "do" anything. It's like the book comes to a halt at every scene. They just talk constantly and mingle from one angle to the next.
I wanted Scott to actually find out details and do some digging, not just have everyone sit around in talk sessions constantly. But that's what happened.
Soul Identity has ratings and reviews. You can't take it with you but what if you could? Most people believe their souls outlive their bodie. Soul Identity [Dennis Batchelder] on bahana-line.com *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. You can't take it with you but what if you could? Most people believe.
It's obvious that this is a humorous thriller and not to be taken seriously. It reminded me of those old 's crime dramas. Kind of cheesy but kind of charming. Yet the charm isn't enough when things aren't ever happening. I also think it would be better if Scott met Val earlier on and then the Soul Identity thing would have served as a deeper mystery and a better reason for Scott to get involved. This book reminded me of a piece of gum. Sweet and tangy at first, then the flavor slowly fizzles.
But at this point you don't know whether to keep chewing or spit it out. Apr 13, Nani rated it it was amazing Shelves: I loved Soul Identity and the whole concept of the company the story is built around. Think about retina scans for identity, we already use that in places. The theory in Soul Identity is that no two living people have the same iris pattern, like a fingerprint. The company, Soul Identity, is ages and ages old, since a time when qualified artisans drew the eyes to form the identity pictures. After you have gone, your soul w I loved Soul Identity and the whole concept of the company the story is built around.
After you have gone, your soul will return as another person, but that soul signature will remain the same. Soul Identity does NOT advertise, but find clients by seeking those who at least have a mild ability to accept that their soul might have walked the earth before. It is a company with incredible financial worth. Soul Collections that are worth great financial sums are invested and the amounts grow. Money and artifacts are left untouched for even centuries because soul members never claim them, the company is worth a TON.
Think about it, identity theft is already a reality in so many forms and the perpetrators are always looking for new ways to steal. So I love that the concept is so plausible. The story in Soul Identity had action and intrigue and did bring up the question of soul-identity-theft. Jun 12, Julie rated it it was amazing. This is a really good read, not just for a free e-book, but overall. The whole concept of a soul identity is pretty captivating all by itself, but what I found even more interesting is that this author chose not to tie prior lives into the memory of the current life.
The soul is identified by mapping the eyes. Soul seekers search for the matches and the matching person is notified of their prior lives, of which they have no memory. Their prior identities leave a legacy for their future selves, kn This is a really good read, not just for a free e-book, but overall. Their prior identities leave a legacy for their future selves, knowing that the future self will have no memory of their life.
So why would someone leave a monetary legacy to someone who cannot remember who or what they were in a prior life? Scott Waverly, a computer security expert, seems to struggle with the same question, which I found very realistic - I'd wonder the same thing. At the same time, I can acknowledge as Waverly does that there are people who would find it an attractive idea.
They can give their future selves a leg up in life by leaving them their wealth, which the Soul Identity company multiplies for them. I found the whole idea interesting enough all by itself, but the story is elevated to another level by subterfuge, attempted murder, murder, computer hacking, a mad dash to discover the truth and thwart the bad guy.
I liked that Waverly didn't come across as a superhero. Things don't always go as he plans and he occasionally runs into some sticky situations.
I'm so glad that there's more to come! Some characters just appear for a few scenes and then they dissapear, not like it is a neccessity to know what exactly happened to every single character at the end of the book but, some of them were so cool I really wanted to know. He told what happened. Keep the good work up. Of course, someone is abusing this capability for their own purposes and stealing clients. Too many cutesy couples!
Like most primary characters in a story, however, you can count on him to extricate himself and not always elegantly. He is a fun character who is a bit of a smart-aleck, which I like. This is a smart story and well written. I have put the second book, Soul Intent, on my to-read list and look forward to getting to it.
Aug 14, Kellie rated it liked it Recommends it for: Anyone who liked DaVinci Code and other similar storylines.
I thought the premise for this book was fascinating and enjoyed entering the world of Soul Identity. The plot line is strong and most of the events of the book are fairly believable, which always makes a book more enjoyable for me — if I can sort of see the action play out as I read the story. I do wish that the book was longer, and the characters were developed a little bit more.
I would have loved to have felt like I know the characters better, and that some of the relationships between them w I thought the premise for this book was fascinating and enjoyed entering the world of Soul Identity. Feret is in town, and they confront him with his New Order plans. He fires them and has them escorted off the grounds.
That night at Archie's meeting, Scott observes the fight is not going well and they are dancing to Feret's music. Berry tells Archie that people are deserting Soul Identity because, by focusing only on the business and the proofs, the organization has lost its own soul. Scott suggests they refocus the organization to prevent future attacks. The group puts together a new scheme for defeating Feret.
Instead, Val triggers a remote-control injector that slips Archie into a medically-induced coma. Everyone is convinced of his death as an ambulance carts him away. In Venice, Scott and Val confront Feret again. Scott tells Feret they have evidence of the poisoning, they disabled the rogue computer program, and Berry is ready to act as the sole overseer.
I loved the story and everything in it. The characters were believable and I found myself thinking of them as friends.
That's hard for some authors to pull off but Batchelder does it wonderfully. The twists kept coming, which barely allowed me to stop at the end of a chapter. All said, I can't think of one negative thing about this book. It was superb in terms of characterization, how the plot unfolds, the end, the descriptive portions, etc. I cannot wait to read Soul Intent! Leo Leibovici on March 11, Difficult to stop reading as I kept wanting to know what happens next.
Will definitely purchase the next one. Scheherizade Mq on Oct. I really enjoyed this. So much so, I was pleased to see a second book, and purchased it! I thought the concept was very unique, good dialogue, and just an all around fun and entertaining read!
I would read more from this author. Keep the good work up. Gail McFarland on July 20, Clever concept and interesting characters make this one funny and total fun! Nice read, original concept, nicely executed. Yes, I would read more of the "Soul" books. Sara Lynn Frederiksen on June 28, This was a good read, that kept my interest right to the ending. Looking forward to more books by this author.
Frank DeCrescenzo on April 09, This is a great story. The concept is intriguing and the writing is very well done. The characters are strong and interesting.
I think the idea of eyes matching century after century is intriguing. I will let you know review of free book. Stephanie Brail on March 11, I really enjoyed the idea of a reincarnation company. So, for the most part, I enjoyed the book, except for one thing: Too many cutesy couples! I think at one point there were three happy, sappy couples all in a limo together, all cooing about how in love they were. That was just too much for me. Please, give yourself as a writer the following challenge for your future books: In the least, have people fight once in a while. I actually found the couples to be much more unbelievable than the idea of a reincarnation company.
If you work a little bit more on giving your characters depth then it should be easier to have more dynamic relationships. Of course, you don't need really deep characters to write a bestselling book: Dan Brown doesn't have sophisticated characters, his books are interesting because of the history and information.
In his latest book, there is a very understated romance with the lead character. This is a good example of putting in a smattering of it without overwhelming your reader with sweetness. Let me put it this way: At the end of The Lost Symbol, I wanted the two main characters to get together. At the end of Soul Identity, I was wishing that one of them had left or died. Morbid, I know, but it was just all too easy. Overall, I think this was a good effort and a page turner. I actually enjoyed this more than stuff I've read from "published" authors.
I hope you'll write more